i need to buy a car.. i'm 19 years old and i need one! how do i go about this? my budget is less than $3,000!

Answer 1

Hear's the real deal breaker You have 1,800 a year to insure that 2,200 car? And I do not reccomend driving with out liability insurance and if you finance your car you will need full coverage aginst loss. If you can take public transportation save money for a better car. And contact an Insurance agent. Costs a lot to drive these days.

Answer 2

search around for a car that is basically 2500 so you have 500 to pay the taxes on the title and insurance(down payment on it at least). Before you buy it get a mechanic to look at it. It may cost you some so your budget will dwindle some but in the long run it is worth it. If the mechanic finds something wrong that is minor the price is usually negotiable. The price is always negotiable. Carfax is a good idea too to check out the history of the car(20 to you -dealer may provide).

So to answer your question in a simplified way...find a car, check it out, negotiate, hand the guy money, get it registered, get insurance and then drive safely.


Research alot before you buy and get a mechanic to check it out

Answer 3

Go to craigslist.com and find your city. Then click the link to cars/trucks. You will find vehicles there sold by owners for around that price range.
Once you've found a car you like, get the details on it (i.e., make/model, year, mileage, AC, sun/moonroof, alloy wheels, etc.). Then go to kbb.com and click on used car private party value. Put in the data on the car, and kbb (Kelly Blue Book) will tell you the amount you should be paying for this car through private party sale. If you communicate the suggested value to the seller, they may drop the price of the vehicle.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

The main thing to look for is a car with low mileage. A car's life is mainly measured by the distance it's travelled so the lower the mileage the longer it will last you. The other main consideration is general condition. Has it been looked after and has it got any rust? Age is the last, but important, consideration.

Answer 5

All good answers but most important is to have any used vehicle checked out first before you buy it by a good qualified mechanic to see if there's any major defects that will cost a lot to repair....usually runs 60-100.00 for a thorough inspection but can save you hundreds or thousands in major repairs. Check out Consumer Reports annual car buying guide at a library or bookstore for reliability and repair info on many older model cars also.

Answer 6

dude you should go to craigslist.org and look for a nice used toyota/honda with low miles. for that price you could get a pretty sweet ride. i got my toyota corolla for 2,300 buck and it has only70,000 on it, low for a toyota. Honda/Toyota are the most reliable cars out there. not the coolest looking but the less you know about cars the less you should be worried about looks. stay away from Ford, GMC, Pontiac, Chevy an other american made cars. this isn't just my opinion. every automotive review will tell you these brands (toyota or honda) are by far the best buy.

Answer 7

Well, since you are going to be buying a used car, you need to check Consumer Reports magazine to see how they have rated the cars for mechanical problems. Also, carfax.com can tell you if the car has been in an accident, but you will have to pay them for this information.

Answer 8

LOOK IN THE PAPERS, WHILE DRIVING AROUND, COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD, CAR MAGS AT GAS STATIONS.
BUT HAVE IT CHECK BY A MECHANIC! THIS WILL COST $0-50. DON'T SPEND MORE THAN $50.
HAVE FUN W/U'R NEW RIDE.
SORRY FOR THE CAPS, 1 HAND.

Answer 9

you say 3k but you really don't have 3k, being a 19yr old myself, i am currently paying 100 dollars a month for insurance and that is the basic, only-for-legal-purposes insurance. so that's 1.2k taken out...1.8k left...i bought my 1993 240sx at 1.75k and spent about only about 50 dollars in repairs and it is working great. and you get great gas mileage